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This file was generated by Descript 

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Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.

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Day 200 and 6

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then Zadok's son Ahimaaz said, Let me run
to the king with the good news that the

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Lord has rescued him from his enemies.

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No, Joab told him, It wouldn't be good
news to the king that his son is dead.

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You can be my messenger
another time, but not today.

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Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia,
Go tell the king what you have seen.

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The man bowed and ran off.

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But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab,
Whatever happens, please let me go too.

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Why should you go, my son?

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Joab replied.

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There will be no reward for your news.

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Yes, but let me go anyway, he begged.

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Joab finally said, All right, go ahead.

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So Ahimaaz took the less demanding
route by way of the plain and ran

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to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian.

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While David was sitting between
the inner and outer gates of the

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town, The watchman climbed to the
roof of the gateway by the wall.

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As he looked, he saw a lone
man running toward them.

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He shouted the news down to David, and the
king replied, If he is alone, he has news.

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As the messenger came closer, the watchman
saw another man running toward them.

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He shouted down, Here comes another one.

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The king replied, He also will have news.

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The first man runs like Ahimaaz,
son of Zadok, the watchman said.

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He is a good man and comes with
good news, the king replied.

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Then Ahimaaz cried out to the
king, Everything is all right.

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He bowed before the king with his
face to the ground and said, Praise

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to the Lord your God, who has
handed over the rebels who dared

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to stand against my lord the king.

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What about young Absalom?

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The king demanded.

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Is he all right?

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Ahimaaz replied.

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When Joab told me to come, there
was a lot of commotion, but I

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didn't know what was happening.

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Wait here, the king told him.

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So Ahimaaz stepped aside.

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Then the man from Ethiopia
arrived and said, I have good

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news for my lord the king.

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Today the lord has rescued you from
all those who rebelled against you.

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What about young Absalom?

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The king demanded.

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Is he all right?

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And the Ethiopian replied, May
all of your enemies, my lord the

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king, both now and in the future,
share the fate of that young man.

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The king was overcome with emotion.

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He went up to the room over the
gateway and burst into tears.

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And as he went, he cried,
Oh, my son, Absalom!

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My son!

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My son, Absalom!

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If only I had died instead of you!

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Oh, Absalom!

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My son!

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My son!

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Word soon reached Joab that the king
was weeping and mourning for Absalom.

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As all the people heard of the king's deep
grief for his son, the joy of that day's

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victory was turned into deep sadness.

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They crept back into the town that
day as though they were ashamed

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and had deserted in battle.

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The king covered his face with his
hands and kept on crying, Oh, my son,

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Absalom, Oh, Absalom, my son, my son.

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Then Joab went to the king's room and
said to him, We saved your life today.

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And the lives of your sons, your
daughters, and your wives and concubines.

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Yet you act like this, making
us feel ashamed of ourselves.

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You seem to love those who hate
you, and hate those who love you.

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You have made it clear today that your
commanders and troops mean nothing to you.

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It seems that if Absalom had lived and
all of us had died, you would be pleased.

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Now go out there and congratulate
your troops, for I swear by the Lord

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that if you don't go out, not a single
one of them will remain here tonight.

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Then you will be worse
off than ever before.

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So the king went out and took his
seat at the town gate, and as the

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news spread throughout the town that
he was there, Everyone went to him.

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Meanwhile, the Israelites who had
supported Absalom fled to their homes.

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And throughout all the tribes
of Israel, there was much

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discussion and argument going on.

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The people were saying, The king
rescued us from our enemies and

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saved us from the Philistines.

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But Absalom chased him out of the country.

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Now Absalom, whom we anointed
to rule over us, is dead.

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Why not ask David to come
back and be our king again?

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Then King David sent Zadok
and Abiathar, the priests.

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To say to the elders of Judah, Why
are you the last ones to welcome

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back the king into his palace?

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For I have heard that all Israel is ready.

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You are my relatives, my own
tribe, my own flesh and blood.

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So why are you the last ones
to welcome back the king?

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And David told them to tell Amasa,
Since you are my own flesh and blood,

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like Joab, may God strike me and even
kill me if I do not appoint you as

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commander of my army in his place.

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Then Amasa convinced all the men of
Judah, and they responded unanimously.

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They sent word to the king, Return to
us, and bring back all who are with you.

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So the king started back to Jerusalem,
and when he arrived at the Jordan River,

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the people of Judah came to Gilgal to
meet him and escort him across the river.

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Shimei, son of Gera, the man from Behurim
in Benjamin, hurried across with the

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men of Judah to welcome King David.

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A thousand other men from the
tribe of Benjamin were with him,

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including Ziba, the chief servant
of the house of Saul, and Ziba's

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fifteen sons and twenty servants.

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They rushed down to the
Jordan to meet the king.

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They crossed the shallows of
the Jordan to bring the king's

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household across the river, helping
him in every way they could.

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As the king was about to cross the
river, Shimei fell down before him.

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My lord the king, please
forgive me, he pleaded.

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Forget the terrible thing your
servant did when you left Jerusalem.

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May the king put it out of his mind.

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I know how much I sinned.

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That is why I have come here
today, the very first person in all

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Israel to greet my lord the king.

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Then Abishai, son of Zeruiah,
said, Shimei should die, for he

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cursed the Lord's anointed king.

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Who asked your opinion,
you sons of Zeruiah?

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David exclaimed, Why have you
become my adversary today?

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This is not a day for execution, for
today I am once again the king of Israel.

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Then, turning to Shimei, David
vowed, Your life will be spared.

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Now Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came
down from Jerusalem to meet the king.

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He had not cared for his feet, trimmed
his beard, or washed his clothes

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since the day the king left Jerusalem.

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Why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?

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The king asked him.

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Mephibosheth replied, My lord the
king, my servant Ziba deceived me.

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I told him, Saddle my donkey
so I can go with the king,

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for as you know I am crippled.

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Ziba has slandered me by saying that
I refused to come, but I know that

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my lord the king is like an angel of
God, so do what you think is best.

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All my relatives and I could expect
only death from you, my lord, but

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instead you have honored me by
allowing me to eat at your own table.

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What more can I ask?

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You've said enough, David replied.

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I've decided that you and Ziba will
divide your land equally between you.

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Give him all of it, Mephibosheth said.

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I am content just to have you
safely back again, my lord the king.